One in 10 practices overall have been rated as ‘requires improvement’, while just 3% – a total of 12 practices – have been rated as ‘inadequate’. The majority of these will be put straight into special measures.

Professor Steve Field, chief inspector of general practice, said: ‘We know that the vast majority of England's GPs are providing a service which is safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. If that is what we find on inspection - we give it a rating of "good", and I congratulate the GPs and staff in these practices.’

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